DH and I suspect that our son (age 2 1/2) has a milk allergy. We hope to have him allergy tested in the next few weeks, but with some visits from relatives, and other dr’s visits, we may have to put it off.
Yesterday, he didn’t have cereal for breakfast (which means that he didn’t have any diary for breakfast) for lunch he had a PB&J with a tiny (less than .1 oz) slice of cheese, and then just before dinner time, I gave him a sippy cup of milk. About 30 minutes later, I noticed that his body, arms, and face were covered with bumps and were starting to get red. He also had a meltdown (which was probably due more to being over tired than the milk – but I know food allergies can cause behavioral problems). He hadn’t had any behavior problems all day and had been particularly helpful to me.
Anyway, so we’re going to switch him to soy milk, unofficially, for a little while. We’ll see how that goes.
Originally we wanted to switch to goat’s milk, but after doing some research today ($3.99 for a QUART of milk! HA!) We may have to rethink going goat.
I read this article today, and it got me thinking that perhaps we should start drinking a variety of milks. I’m thinking that we will probably have almond, soy, and hemp milks in our fridge at any given time. That will give us a variety to drink, as well, so we won’t get bored with the same old same old. We’ll be very careful which brands we buy, and we’ll try to buy unsweetened as much as possible. Maybe we’ll even mix some of the milks and come up with a “combo” milk that we like – you know, a little almond, a little soy, a little hemp, a little rice. I imagine that a “milk” cocktail could be very beneficial, especially if you buy all the unsweetened versions. And it might give a little more unique taste.
One thing is for certain – we need to change our milk habits. We drink a lot of milk, and I think there are good reasons to cut back in the dairy department and increase consumption of other things (such as foods high in Vitamin D – see article).
What milks does your family drink? How did you make the decision? Was it for necessary health reasons (allergies, intolerance, etc)? Or did you just decide to try out something that might be healthier?
Joshua had a milk allergy until he was about 2. I gave him soy milk for a long time, but then learned that estrogen levels in soy can be harmful in large doses to little boys. I don't know if that is true. But in any case, we switched over to Rice Milk. Joshua's not allergic anymore so I give him the regular stuff. And actually, we combing 1 half 2% with 1 half nonfat powdered milk from our food storage. I never get tired of cow milk.
ReplyDeleteFor reasons I wont explain right now, Abigail had to be weaned and she has started formula. I bought her soy based, assuming she will have the same problems as Joshua. I'm not even going to give her cow milk until she's atleast 18 months.
Joshua's reactions to cow milk was eczema. It wasn't the worst I've ever seen, but I've seen pretty bad, so it was enough for me to get him off the milk right away. He never had a problem with cheese or yoghurt, and in face he eats those ALL THE TIME!
Good luck with the allergy!
HEy, Becca,
ReplyDeleteHaven't been here in a while--but you should be aware of the hormone-mimicking effects of soy products that haven't been fermented. And goat milk is NASTY if it's from a box or can, but amazing if it's fresh.